Negative reviews mean nothing when it comes to Michael Myers. Halloween Ends, the third and final installment to David Gordon Green’s trilogy beginning with the original 1978 film, came knives unsheathed to the box office, slashing through any and all suggestions it would fall to its knees before curtain call.
On Thursday alone the movie pulled in an impressive $5.4 million at the domestic box office, suggesting it’ll have no trouble at all surpassing its goal of $50 million, per the Hollywood Reporter. What’s more, it’s clear even the most ardent naysayers seem eager to watch Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode battle it out with her arch nemesis, and more importantly, find out once and for all which of the two will end up on top.
The movie currently holds a disappointing 44 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and an average 60 percent in the eyes of viewers. Compared to its predecessors, the 2018 Halloween and Halloween Kills, that’s a drop in both critic and audience scores. But Michael Myers can care less what critics think, as proven by 2018’s Halloween which debuted with a record-breaking $76.2 million domestically.
Halloween Kills brought in only $49.4M but that was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was an impressive figure considering the times. How Halloween Ends will fare is up to the fans, but if early figures forecast the film’s financial future then audiences will endure it all to see Michael and Laurie duke it out one last time.
Jamie Lee Curtis has made it clear her stance on returning to the Halloween franchise, but the same can’t be said for Michael Myers, who is notorious for surviving everything and anything thrown at him. Now that the rights to the franchise revert back to owner Malek Akkad from Blumhouse, Michael’s fate may not be as crystal clear as the name of the movie implies.
Halloween Ends is currently in theaters and available to stream on Peacock.